• SA vs AUS Test Series 2014
  • SA vs AUS Test Series 2014

    RussyRover > 15/02/2014, 15:46

    I suppose England can take some solace from their battering down under as the Aussies have taken total control of the first Test in South Africa, and once again it's Mitchell Johnson who they can't seem to live with, and yes he's got his lucky 'Mo' again so that'll probably stay for good now as his good luck charm...

    South Africa won the toss and put the Aussies in to bat, and that didn't turn out that well...

    AUS 1st Innings - 397 from 122 overs

    SA then didn't fair so well as Johnson took 7 for 68
    SA 1st Innings - 206 from 61.1 overs

    The Aussies then put the sword in with a lovely 115 from Warner and 89 from Doolan;
    AUS 2nd Innings - 290-4 Dec from 72.2 overs

    With SA now needing 482 to win, this was not going to end well for them, and indeed it didn't as they have just been bowled out..
    SA 2nd Innings - 200 from 59.4 overs and Johnson yet again taking 5 for 59.


    So the Aussies win by 281 runs and with a day and a bit to spare, sounds fairly similar to recent times doesn't it!!! Still whichever way you look at it, England were shit, but the Aussies have started to prove they are getting better...
  • RE: SA vs AUS Test Series 2014

    fouraprilclose > 19/02/2014, 11:30

    Another scalp for Johnston as how many players as he sent on their way recently ha ha. Doesn't matter who SA call up as they are going to be in the firing line too! What do SA do as if they tailor a fast pitch then Mitch only going to hurt them again , but if they put out a flat one then it makes there fast bowlers ineffective too. Plus remember Johnston steam rolled England on that flat road of a pitch in Adelaide.
  • RE: SA vs AUS Test Series 2014

    RussyRover > 20/02/2014, 20:49

    DAY ONE - 2nd Test

    South Africa won the toss and decided to bat, let's hope that's the right decision this time

    South Africa 1st Innings: 214 for 5 (83.0 overs)

    After the fall of 2 quick wickets, the South Africans make a comeback, but Nathan Lyon takes both the key wickets of Elgar (83) and du Plessis (55).

    Still too early to call, but I won't be laying the draw for this match as that is where I believe this will end up... Unless there is some more Aussie magic!!!
  • RE: SA vs AUS Test Series 2014

    RussyRover > 21/02/2014, 16:56

    DAY TWO - 2nd Test

    South Africa 423 all out from 150.5 overs

    Play started a little early this morning to make up for the lost overs yesterday due to bad light, and South Africa continued their form before AB de Villiers finally fell after making 116, and even Michael Clarke had a bowl, and surprise surprise took the wicket of Philander, and it was Duminy who was out for 123 who made the score look respectable in the end.

    Looking at what the wicket was doing or rather not really doing, it was a chance to lay South Africa as the price had gone under 2/1, as it looked like this one would be heading for a draw...

    However the Aussies did not start well, Rogers making 5, Dolan 8 and Marsh out for a duck!!! What the hell was going on!! Warner though was still playing his own game and nicely swatting the ball around the field, reaching his 50 at virtually a run a ball..
    Michael Clarke looked to get a start but then he caught an edge and it was 4 wickets down, this was not how it was supposed to go down in this evening's session....
    South Africa are now down to 11/10 but the draw (5/4) is still looking good if Australia can settle down and not lose any more wickets.

    Phew, a scare there as Nathan Lyon seemingly nicks one down the leg side and is caught by the keeper, but the umpire says not out, SA don't review, and the replays show it was actually out!!! Lucky lucky lucky, well for the Aussies anyway... Holy Christ, another edge and a dropped chance this time... Nathan Lyon ought to pick his lotto numbers out when he walks off cos he is one lucky man... That's it, the Aussies survive to stumps...


    CLOSE OF PLAY: AUSTRALIA 112-4 Trail by 311 runs, Lyon (12) Warner (65)
  • RE: SA vs AUS Test Series 2014

    RussyRover > 23/02/2014, 18:36

    DAYS 3 & 4 - 2nd Test

    I knew it, after putting a lay on South Africa, the Aussies go and implode....

    They do avoid the follow on target by some tail guard action from Johnson, Harris and Siddle along with Smith but they fall well short of the SA target
    Australia 1st Innings: 246 all out from 57.0 overs

    The Aussies couldn't deal with Morkel who had them ducking and weaving, and he and Philander take 3 wickets a piece, beginning to regret my lay now but still plenty of time left....


    South Africa 2nd Innings: 270 for 5 declared from 64.0 overs

    A couple of earlyish wickets as Smith and Elgar fall cheaply, but the Proteas once again show they have no problem dealing with Johnson and co. with Amla making 127no, and they declare in the morning session on Day 4 and set the Aussies of target of 448.


    Australia 2nd Innings: 216 all out from 73.4 overs South Africa win by 231 runs

    The Aussies make a decent start with Rogers and Warner putting on 100+ for the 1st wicket. Warner goes for 66 lbw Duminy after seeing off Morkel by thwacking him around the ground.

    They make it to the evening session with just the 1 wicket down and I start to think the Aussies could pull this one back and that my lay is safe!!!!!
    However, the Aussies once again more then implode as apart from Rogers who gets himself run out, not a single other batter makes it to double figures. Lyon is unlucky to be given out lbw as replay shows it did hit the bat, but all in all justice for SA...

    Meanwhile on my lay front, I decided it was time to cash out for a 1/2 stake loss earlier on, and just in time too as not long after the 8th wicket fell and it was curtains...

    MOM is strangely enough given to Duminy for his 100 in the 1st innings, strange because it was Dale Steyn who took 4 for 55 in the 2nd innings and was largely responsible for terrorising the Aussies...

    Oh well 1-1 now, the decider starts on March 1st from cape Town...
  • RE: SA vs AUS Test Series 2014

    RussyRover > 01/03/2014, 17:24

    3rd Test - Day 1 - CLOSE OF PLAY: AUSTRALIA 331-3

    Australia win the toss and decide to bat, they think the pitch may have something in it for later in the match.

    Runs a plenty on Day 1 at Cape Town, 118 scored in the first session at a brisk pace, courtesy mainly of David Warner, he only knows how to play one way, and that's to score fast.

    SA bring JP Duminy on for a bowl and he gets Warner out who gets a faint edge and de Villiers takes the catch on the 2nd attempt, but it's 217 for 3 and the Aussies are still in control.

    Even though the runs dried up in the afternoon session, Clarke and Smith up the tempo a bit in the evening. They only complete 88 overs, dreadfully slow over rate today, Clarke unbeaten on 92 and Smith 50.

    If the Aussies can bowl well, they have a chance of taking this game, still early days though, they need to put 500+ up first.
  • RE: SA vs AUS Test Series 2014

    RussyRover > 02/03/2014, 17:40

    3rd Test: Day 2 - CLOSE OF PLAY: AUSTRALIA 494-7 from 127.4 overs

    Australia make a cautious start to the morning as they see off the new ball. Michael Clarke even spends 24 balls on 99 before getting his century with a four, quickly followed by 2 more boundaries... Relief for him for sure...

    Steve Smith also hits some lovely 6's for his 84, and Watson survives early on to make 40. But it was Clarke who is still there unbeaten on 161 as the rain moved in and forced play to be halted.

    Surprisingly it is JP Duminy who has taken 4 wickets, as Steyn is still sidelined with his hamstring injury, and Morkel is wicketless....

    They'll try to make up some overs tomorrow, and the forecast says it is supposed to be 3 nice days to finish off the test.
    Unless the Aussies bowl out SA cheaply, this one has draw written over it....
  • RE: SA vs AUS Test Series 2014

    RussyRover > 03/03/2014, 17:04

    3rd Test - DAY 3: CLOSE OF PLAY

    AUSTRALIA 1st Inns: 494-7 dec

    So the Aussies decide to declare and get the South Africans in to try to get a result from the match.
    and apart from a 67 from Faf du Plessis and a 53 from Alvaro Petersen, the Aussies do manage to take all 10 wickets pretty cheaply within the day, even though Steyn (28) and Philander (38 out out) put up some resistance towards the end.
    Mitchell Johnson takes 4 for 42, but his bowling was not that awesome, good but not like how he devastated England...

    SA don't make the follow on target, but these days no one seems to enforce it anyway, so the Aussies will be out to bat again.

    SOUTH AFRICA 1st Inns: 287 all out from 82.5 overs 207 runs behind.


    AUSTRALIA 2nd Inns: 27-0 from 6 overs, leading by 234 runs... Rogers (1) and Warner (25)

    Warner once again is out of the blocks at full pace scoring at better than a run a ball, 25 from 17 balls. If the Aussies can have 2 good sessions tomorrow, declare they can then have 4 sessions to bowl SA out again... Maybe this won't be a draw after all...
  • RE: SA vs AUS Test Series 2014

    RussyRover > 04/03/2014, 16:23

    3rd Test - DAY 4

    Australia needed to come out this morning and score fast to post a target, and SA needed to take wickets, guess which one happened...

    But before that as the teams prepare to take the field, Graeme Smith walks onto the field alone to rapturous applause from the crowd and both sets of players, can he make his last Test Match a memorable one?


    David Warner made mincemeat once again of the SA attack, and he and Rogers make 100+ for the first wicket partnership, although Rogers only managed 39 as he was run out by Steyn with the total on 123.
    SA though was missing Steyn, he did take to the field and tried a few overs, that Warner clattered him for and then give up again. It's pointless to aggravate his injury further, but without his attack, SA seem very mild indeed.
    As Rogers departed, Doolan entered, and surprisingly took ages to try to get a start, not really the game plan for Australia, as they needed to push the score along,, but he didn't last, out for 37 from 87 balls.
    It was time to go on the offensive again and although a few wickets fell, including Clarke out for a golden duck, the Aussies pass 300 before declaring with under an hour to go before Tea. Warner made an impressive 145 from 156 balls, that's a century in both innings and probably MOM material.

    AUSTRALIA 2nd Inns: 303 for 5 dec from 58.0 overs, not bad eh!!!


    A simple equation for SA, 511 to win or bat out 4 and a bit sessions for the draw... and for Australia, they would dearly love to get a wicket before Tea...

    Once again guess what happened?

    Harris and Johnson seem in a different class with the new ball, Harris takes first blood with the first ball of the 3rd over as Alvaro Petersen walks across his wicket, misses the ball, and the finger is raised for lbw. Petersen looks towards Smith for a possible review, but Smith says, no mate that's out... 12-1.
    First ball of the 4th over and Johnson bowls a beautiful body ball to Smith who catches an inside edge onto the pads and straight into the hands of short leg, 12-2 disaster...
    As Smith walks off, the crowd gives him a standing ovation, along with both teams on and off the field, not the last innings he would have wanted but a great South African player.
    Dean Elgar becomes Johnson's next victim as he plays around the ball that clatters into the stumps, bowled for 0, and 15-3, and that's Tea.
    Australia are jubilant 1 wicket would have been nice, 3 before Tea, an absolute dream...

    As South Africa resume after Tea, their game plan seems to have changed. The plan seems to be 'SURVIVAL'. Don't worry about scoring, just survive, they're going for the draw, playing the shots with minimal risk. If anyone can last out then Amla and de Villiers would be the pair you would want at the crease, still, it's a big ask for them.


    Oops, what was I saying, Amla gets nowhere near a ball from Pattinson, and the finger is raised once more for lbw. It is reviewed this time but no luck, it's upheld and SA are 68-4... Kyle Abbott comes in as night watchman, not too long to go before close of play and the Aussies sense blood, they're not going to let up now...

    CLOSE OF PLAY: SOUTH AFRICA 2nd Inns: 71-4 from 41 overs, 439 runs behind.

    de Villiers has batted 2 1/2 hours for his 16 runs and 1 boundary, only another 400 or so to go tomorrow to save the match, however win, lose or draw, well maybe not the win, can't see that happening, but lose or draw, South Africa will retain the #1 Test spot.. At least Smith has that, he left with them on #1.
  • RE: SA vs AUS Test Series 2014

    RussyRover > 06/03/2014, 03:16

    3rd Test - Day 5

    Another early start today and a 2 1/2 hour morning session to try to catch some overs back after that rain delay on Day 2.

    The Aussies would want to get a wicket or two, but it didn't go down like that. Some resolute batting from the night watchman Abbott and de Villiers see South Africa inching over by over closer to the end of the day. Abbott does fall at 95-5 but then enter du Plessis who also makes it his duty to survive over after over.

    They're not worried about scoring, just ticking off those balls one by one...

    When Harris finally got de Villiers to edge a ball to Haddin, he had spent 5 hours at the crease for his 43 and used up 228 balls, 136-6 and it was looking more likely that South Africa would pull off the draw as Duminy and then Philander also made a stand.

    Entering into the evening session, you would be forgiven for thinking, it's going to be a draw after all, however once du Plessis and Duminy fell, the game swing around and the Aussies were on top once more, taking the last 2 wickets cheaply to win by 245 runs

    South Africa 2nd Inns: 265 all out from 134.3 overs

    If you had played the Draw vs the Aussie win on the exchanges such as Betfair you may have come away with a nice little profit as during the day the odds rose then fell again as the fortunes changed. Alas I did not.

    Still a fitting last Test for Graeme Smith, even though it wasn't a win for him, it was a thrilling game, not because of the qty of runs but the cat and mouse tactics between Fielding and Batting sides, now this is what Test Matches are all about...